Refrigerator door-making method

ABSTRACT

In making a refrigerator door, sheet metal is formed into a boxshaped outer door, and a plastic inner door is molded with side edge flanges shaped to extend under inturned flanges of the outer door. The outer door has an open end to receive the inner door, insulation is placed inside the outer door, and the inner door is slid endwise into the outer door with its edge flanges locked inside the inturned flanges of the outer door. Then a seal is secured around the flange of the outer door, and the opening that receives the inner door is preferably covered over.

United States Patent 1191 Smoot 1451 Sept. 3, 1974 REFRIGERATOR DOOR-MAKING METHOD [75] Inventor: Edward H. Smoot, Holcomb, N.Y.

[73] Assignee: The Schlegel Manufacturing Company, Rochester, N.Y.

[22] Filed: Feb. 16, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 333,115

113/116 G, 120 H A; 312/214, 116; 220/DIG. 9, DIG. 3

3,000,058 9/1961 3,221,085 ll/l965 Thielen 312/214 X Rill et al. 29/455 Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-James R. Duzan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cumpston, Shaw & Stephens [5 7 ABSTRACT In making a refrigerator door, sheet metal is formed into a box-shaped outer door, and a plastic inner door is molded with side edge flanges shaped to extend under inturned flanges of the outer door. The outer door has an open end to receive the inner door, insulation is placed inside the outer door, and the inner door is slid endwise into the outer door with its edge [56] References Cited fl l k th t d fl fth t anges oc e 1ns1 e e 1n urne anges o e ou er T UBITED STATES PATENTS door. Then a seal is secured around the flange of the f; gewman outer door, and the opening that receives the inner el'nstrom ed r. 2,579,396 12/1951 Philipp 29 455 door 18 preferably cover We 2,6995 83 1/1955 Kurtz 29/455 12 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures /13 /14 /|2 /|6 /|7 ROLL FORMING CUTTING OFF I DIE STAMPING FORMING OPEN PLACING OUTER DOOR DOOR LENGTH OUTER DOOR END IN OUTER INaULATlON 1N EDGES ENDS DOOR OUTER DOOR 011-: STAMPING suome INNER OUTER DOOR FORM'NG DOOR INTO ATTACH'NG EDGES 'NNER DOOR OUTER DOOR 11 15 1e 1e PATENTEDSEPB m4 7 v 3832768 I SHEUZOF 5 I PAIENIEUSEPB 1 1 SHEEI 30F 5 PRIOR ART REFRIGERATOR DOOR-MAKING METHOD THE INVENTIVE IMPROVEMENT For many years refrigerator doors have been made with an outer door formed as a sheet metal box and a molded plastic inner door fastened to the outer door with screws placed every few inches. A retainer and a seal were screwed in place in the same assembly operation, and 50 or more screws were required for securely fastening the two door parts together. This is fairly expensive and laborious, yet it has been standard for many years.

The invention recognizes a simpler, cheaper, and more effective way of making refrigerator doors to simplify the assembly, reduce the number and expense of parts required, and form a strong and reliable door. The invention eliminates the screws required in refrigerator door assembly and provides a generally better constructed and better sealed door than has been available in the prior art. I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The inventive door-making method includes forming sheet metal into a box-shaped outer door, having a frontal door surface, a peripheral rim, and an inturned flange, and forming a molded plastic inner door. The inner door is provided with longitudinal side edge flanges shaped to extend under the inturned flange of the outer door and along the peripheral rim to the region of the frontal door surface. The outer door is formed with an open end to receive the inner door. Insulation is placed inside the outer door, and the inner door is slid endwise into the outer door with the edge flanges of the inner door locked inside the inturned flange of the outer door. Then a seal is secured around the flange of the outer door.

DRAWINGS FIG. I is a schematic block diagram of the inventive method;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, partially cut-away, exploded perspective view of a preferred method of refrigerator door assembly;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of a refrigerator door edge as assembled in the prior art;

FIGS. 4-8 are fragmentary cross-sectional views similar to the view of FIG. 3 but showing the inventive method of refrigerator door assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 shows the preferred steps of the general method of the invention. An outer door of sheet metal, and an inner door of molded plastic are formed for interlocking together, insulation is placed in the outer door, the inner door is slid into the outer door, and a seal is attached around the outer door. The invention involves ways of forming the outer door and inner door to interlock, improvements in forming the outer door, the sliding together of the two door parts, and other features described below.

Outer refrigerator doors are presently die stamped of sheet metal, and the same practice can be followed in the inventive method as shown in steps 11 and 12 of FIG. 1. Alternatively, continuous lengths of sheet metal can be roll formed as shown in step 13 to form the longitudinal side edges of the outer door. Then door lengths can be cut off the formed strip as shown in step l4 and these can be die stamped in step 12 to form the ends of the outer door. Either way, the resulting outer door is box-shaped with a frontal door surface, a peripheral rim, and an inturned flange.

The inner door is formed at step 15 of FIG. 1, and is preferably molded of plastic material in the same general way that inner doors were previously made. The outer door has an open end as formed in step 16 to receive the inner door, and insulation is placed in the outer door as shown in step 17. Then the inner door is slid into the outer door as shown in step 18, and a seal is attached around the outer door as shown in step 19.

Methods of forming the outer door and inner door are generally known, but the correct shaping of these parts for sliding together in an interlocked relation is new in the refrigerator door-making art. Assembly of the door parts by sliding them together eliminates the many screws previously used, the retainer strip secured in place with the screws, and the necessity of attaching the weather seal in place by screws. This eliminates the cost of the screws, simplifies the seal, allows an improved form of seal to be used, eliminates the retainer strip, and saves a great deal of labor since the door parts can be slid together much faster than the previous parts could be assembled by screws.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of refrigerator door parts oriented for sliding together according to the invention. Outer door 20 has frontal door surface 21, a peripheral rim 22 and an inturned flange 23. Inner door 25 has edge flanges 26 shaped to extend under inturned flanges 23 of outer door 20 and flanges 27 shaped to extend along rim 22 to the region of frontal door 39 were required. Also, seal 38 had to cover over screws 39 and required a complex shape such as illustrated. The design of seal 38 limited its construction to materials that take a cold set so that seal 38 often became damaged and leaky in use.

In comparison, FIG. 4 shows the inventive assembly of inner door 25 and outer door 20, with inner door flange. 26 extending under outer door flange 23, and inner door flange 27 extending along rim 22 to butt against frontal door surface 21. Flanges 26 and 27 securely interlock inner door 25 with outer door 20 without any screws being used. Then seal 40 is secured to flange 23 preferably with adhesive, and seal 40 can have a simpler shape and be formed of materials that do not take a cold set to function better as a refrigerator door seal.

FIG. 5 shows the door of FIG. 4 held in a closed position by magnetic latch 41 engaging door frame 42. Seal 40 is flexed as illustrated to provide a secure seal around the door.

FIG. 6 shows a variation of the inventive method in which flange 23 of outer door 20 has an upturned lip 43 for holding a seal 44 that is pressed onto lip 43 and retained in place. Pile 45 on seal 44 provides the sealing engagement with a door frame, but foam or other material can be substituted for pile 45 as desired.

FIG. 7 shows another variation of the inventive method with flange 23 having a smaller upturned lip 46 serving as an abutment for a compressible foam seal 47. Seal 47 is located by lip 46 and preferably secured in place with adhesive, and seal 47 conceals the edge of lip 46.

Seal 48 of FIG. 8 has an elongated base 49 that overlies the edge of flange 23 to conceal the edge and improve the appearance of the door. Other variations and seals, ways of mounting seals, and flange edge shapes and concealment arrangements are possible and will be understood by those skilled in the art.

Persons wishing to practice the invention should remember that other embodiments and variations can be adapted to particular circumstances. Even though one point of view is necessarily chosen in describing and defining the invention this should not inhibit broader or related embodiments going beyond the semantic orientation of this application but falling within the spirit of the invention. For example, the different seals, metal forming techniques, flange shapes and assembly techniques will be clearly understood by those who practice the invention.

I claim:

1. A method of making a refrigerator door having a molded plastic inner door and a sheet metal, boxshaped outer door with a frontal door surface, a peripheral rim, and an inturned flange, said method comprismg:

a. providing said inner door with longitudinal side edge flanges shaped to extend under said inturned flanges of the side edges of said outer door to said peripheral rim of said outer door and angled to extend along said peripheral rim to the region of said frontal door surface;

b. forming said outer door with an end opening in said peripheral rim to receive said side edge flanges of said inner door;

c. placing insulation inside of said outer door;

d. sliding said inner door endwise into said end opening of said outer door over said insulation with said edge flanges of said inner door locked inside said inturned flange of said outer door and extending along the inside of said peripheral rim of said side edges of said outer door;

e. securing a seal around said inturned flange of said outer door; and

f. securing a cover over said end opening of said outer door after said inner door is in place.

2. The method of claim 1 including forming said end opening of said outer door as a pair of slots positioned to receive said edge flanges of said inner door.

3. The method of claim 1 including placing sheet material over said insulation to facilitate sliding said inner door over said insulation.

4. The method of claim 3 including removing said sheet material after sliding said inner door substantially into place.

5. The method of claim 1 including placing said seal to conceal the inner edge of said outer door flange.

6. The method of claim 1 including roll forming a continuous strip of sheet metal to form said rim and flangealong the side edges of said outer door, cutting off lengths of said formed strip, and die stamping the ends of said cut-off lengths to form said outer door.

7. The method of claim 1 including forming said opening at the top of said outer door, and sliding said inner door from the top toward the bottom of said outer door.

8. The method of claim 7 including forming a bottom flange on said inner door to extend under said inturned flange of said outer door at the bottom of said outer door.

9. The method of claim 8 including roll forming a continuous strip of sheet metal to form said rim and flange along the side edges of said outer door, cutting off lengths of said formed strip, die stamping the ends of said cut-off lengths to form said outer door, and forming said end opening of said outer door as a pair of slots positioned to receive said edge flanges of said inner door.

10. The method of claim 8 including placing sheet material over said insulation to facilitate sliding said inner door over said insulation.

11. The method of claim 10 including removing said sheet material after sliding said inner door substantially into place.

12. The method of claim 10 including roll forming a continuous strip of sheet metal to form said rim and flange along the side edges of said outer door, cutting off lengths of said formed strip, die stamping the ends of said cut-off lengths to form said outer door, forming said end opening of said outer door as a pair of slots positioned to receive said edge flanges of said inner door, and securing a cover over said end opening of said outer door after said inner door is in place. 

1. A method of making a refrigerator door having a molded plastic inner door and a sheet metal, box-shaped outer door with a frontal door surface, a peripheral rim, and an inturned flange, said method comprising: a. providing said inner door with longitudinal side edge flanges shaped to extend under said inturned flanges of the side edges of said outer door to said peripheral rim of said outer door and angled to extend along said peripheral rim to the region of said frontal door surface; b. forming said outer door with an end opening in said peripheral rim to receive said side edge flanges of said inner door; c. placing insulation inside of said outer door; d. sliding said inner door endwise into said end opening of said outer door over said insulation with said edge flanges of said inner door locked inside said inturned flange of said outer door and extending along the inside of said peripheral rim of said side edges of said outer door; e. securing a seal around said inturned flange of said outer door; and f. securing a cover over said end opening of said outer door after said inner door is in place.
 2. The method of claim 1 including forming said end opening of said outer door as a pair of slots positioned to receive said edge flanges of said inner door.
 3. The method of claim 1 including placing sheet material over said insulation to facilitate sliding said inner door over said insulation.
 4. The method of claim 3 including removing said sheet material after sliding said inner door substantially into place.
 5. The method of claim 1 including placing said seal to conceal the inner edge of said outer door flange.
 6. The method of claim 1 including roll forming a continuous strip of sheet metal to form said rim and flange along the side edges of said outer door, cutting off lengths of said formed strip, and die stamping the ends of said cut-off lengths to form said outer door.
 7. The method of claim 1 including forming said opening at the top of said outer door, and sliding said inner door from the top toward the bottom of said outer door.
 8. The method of claim 7 including forming a bottom flange on said inner door to extend under said inturned flange of said outer door at the bottom of said outer door.
 9. The method of claim 8 including roll forming a continuous strip of sheet metal to form said rim and flange along the side edges of said outer door, cutting off lengths of said formed strip, die stamping the ends of said cut-off lengths to form said outer door, and forming said end opening of said outer door as a pair of slots positioned to receive said edge flanges of said inner door.
 10. The method of claim 8 including placing sheet material over said insulation to facilitate sliding said inner door over said insulation.
 11. The method of claim 10 including removing said sheet material after sliding said inner door substantially into place.
 12. The method of claim 10 including roll forming a continuous strip of sheet metal to form said rim and flange along the side edges of said outer door, cutting off lengths of said formed strip, die stamping the ends of said cut-off lengths to form said outer door, forming said end opening of said outer door as a pair of slots positioned to receive said edge flanges of said inner door, and securing a cover over said end opening of said outer door after said inner door is in place. 